Liquid-level indicator for steam-boilers.



W. A. KITTS, SR.

LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR FOR STEAM BOILERS.

APPUCATION HLED MAR. 2. 1915.

1,223,799. Patented Apr. 24,1917.

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WILLARD A. KITTS, SR., OF OSWEGO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO KITTS STEAMSPECIALTY CO., INC., OF OSWEGO, NEW YRK, A CORPORATIGN OE NEW YORK.

LIQUID-LEVEL INDICATOR FOR STEAM-BOILERS.

Application filed March 2, 1915.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, WILL-ARD A. KITTs, Sr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Oswego, in the county of 0swego, in the State ofNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Liquid-LevelIndicators for Steam-Boilers, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescrlption.

This invention relates to certain improvements in liquid levelindicators for steam boilers and other containers in which the level ofthe liquid is susceptible to fluctuations from any cause.

In devices of this character and particularly in steam and watercontaining boilers, it is desirable to render the action of theindicating means or feed controller dependent upon some member which isin direct contact with and actuated by the varying levels of the water,and the main object of my present invention is to provide such a memberthat will effectively withstand the varying degrees of moisture, heatand pressure, to which it will be necessarily subjected, withoutliability of deterioration and at the same time be economical inmanufacture and quickly responsive to the slightest variations of waterlevel.

Another object is to provide said member with a closed chambercommunicating with the water-containing receptacle or column in suchmanner as to cause a limited amount of such water to automatically flowthereinto so that its combined weight when immersed a predetermineddepth in the water in the column will substantially counterbalanceanother weight in operative connection therewith, whereby both weightsmay be used in operating a suitable indicator such as fee controllingvalve or signal.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the apparatus willbe brought out in the following description.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a water columnof a steam boiler showing the application of my invention thereto asused in connection with an automatic boiler feed, an electrical armbeing also shown diagram- Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Apr. 24, 191'?.

serial No. 11,478.

matically in connection with a valve-operating member.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of a high water alarm mechanism usedin connection with my invention.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of a low water alarm also used inconnection with my invention.

In carrying out the objects stated, a hollow member -1- of copper orequivalent sheet metal is supported within a water-containing receptacleconsisting, in this instance, of a water column -2- having inlet andoutlet pipes -3- and *lleading, respectively, to the lower and upperends thereof and adapted to be connected in any well known manner to thewater and steam chambers of the boiler so that the water in the columnwill assume the same level as that in the boiler.

The hollow member -1- is closed except that it is provided with acentral tube -5- secured in the lower end thereof and extendingdownwardly a sufficient distance to enter the water or other liquid inthe chamber -2-, its upper end being extended within the hollow member-lto a point preferably near the top thereof, leaving sufficient spaceto allow the water to pass upwardly from the lower end through the tubeand to overflow into the interior of the hollow member so that thehollow member will be filled with waterto the level of the top of thetube.

The shell -lis preferably made in the form of an oblong spheroid to giveit the necessary strength to resist internal and external pressures andto enable it to be made of comparatively thin sheet metal, and togetherwith the body of water contained therein, constitutes a buoyant weightadapted to rise and fall with varying water levels in the chamber -2-,to be used as a primary controller for a suitable liquid level indicatorin a manner presently described.

This indicator may be a valve-operating rod -6- for operating a valve-7- to automatically control the water feed or supply to a boiler, (notshown), or it may be used to operate an electric switch -8- of a signalcircuit -9- as shown in Fig. l to operate an electric signal 1U-e, orpump motor -11-.

It is also evident that it may be employed for controlling the action ofa steam whistle -12- to serve as a low water alarm, as shown in Fig. 3,or as a high water alarm, as shown in Fig. 2.

In all of these cases, the shell 1 must be adjusted in the water chamber-2- so that the lower end of the tube 5- will extend below the normalwater level which it is desired to approximately maintain.

Vhen used as the primary controller for an automatic water feed, as forexample.l in operating the valve -7-, Fig. 1, in which the line -A-represents approximately the water level which it is desired tomaintain, the hollow shell -1- is adjusted so as to be partiallyimmersed below Said level in which position it is counterbalanced by aweight 13 through the medium of suitable levers -14- and m15-- connectedto each other by a link -16-, the lever 14- carrying the weight '13-being fulcrumed at one end opposite that to which the link -16- isconnected to a suitable post 1T- secured to and depending from the topof the column -2- at the inside thereof.

The lever is fulcrumed intermediate its ends to a post 18`- also securedto and depending from the top of the water column and having its innerend pivotally connected to the upper end of a stem -19 which is securedto and extends upwardly from the upper end of the shell -1 The valve rodor stem -6- connects the lever 111- with the valve 7- through a gland-20- in the top of the column -2-, the point of connection between thevalve stem and lever 1% being between the fulcrum of said lever and itspoint of connection with the link 1S- The weight of the member 13m andconnections between it and the water-filled f shell-1 are adjusted toapproximately equal the displacement of the hollow shell -1- so that thetwo weights counterbalance each other when the water level isapproximately normal, as shown by the line -A-, in which positions thevalve '-7- would be closed, thereby cutting ofi' the supply of water tothe boiler, but it is evident that in case the water level should fallbelow normal, the combined weight of the A shell -1- with the watertherein would filled with water before being installed in the watercolumn -2- or before being connected to its supporting rod M19-, but inactual practice, I have found that if the empty member is placed inoperative position in the water column with its lower end submerged inthe water, the fluctuations of the steam pressure in the boiler willcause it to ll automatically within a very short time afterinstallation.

For example, assuming that the empty shell is installed in the boiler orwater column with its lower end partially submerged in the water at itsnormal operating level and that the external pressure tends to eX- ceedthat within the hollow member, which, of course, would contain more orless air, then it is obvious that there would be an equal tendency toestablish the same pressure within the member with the result that thewater in which the hollow member is partially submerged would be forcedby the excess external pressure upwardly through the tube -5-, thuscausmg the water to overflow from the top of the tube into the lowerpart of the hollow member until the internal pressure equaled that ofthe external pressure, leaving a quantity of water trapped within thehollow member below the upper end of the tube -5-.

New, if the external pressure in the boiler or column 1 should bereduced below that of the internal pressure, it is evident that thecompressed air above the upper end of the tube -5- would be forceddownwardly and outwardly through said tube by such excess pressure untilthe internal and external pressure became again equalized, thus reducingthe resistance of the compressed air within the hollow member to theinflow of an additional quantity of the water as the external pressureis again increased above that of the internal pressure, whereupon suchadditional quantity of water would be forced upwardly through the tube-5- and would overflow into the hollowmember 1- until the internalpressure is again equal to that of the external pressure.

In like manner repeated fluctuations of pressure would soon cause thefilling of the hollow member 1 to the level of the inner or upper end ofthe tube -5- which as previously stated extends to a point near the topof the hollow member.

If it should be desired to operate a signal, as -10-, electrically toindicate that the water had receded from its normal level or to operatean electric motor pump as 11- to restore such level, one of the switchmembers -8- may be attached to the valve rod 1-6- so as to contact withthe other member of the switch only when the water level falls belownormal, in which case the signal circuit would be closed through thesignal -10- or through the motor pump -11 as may be desired.

When this device is to be used for operating a high water alarm, such asa steam whistle 1Q- shown in Fig. 2, in which case the normal waterlevel would be below the shell -1 as represented by the line -B, orrather the entire apparatus would be adjusted to bring the shell -labovesuch normal water level, under which conditions the combined weight ofthe shell -1- with the water therein exceeding that of thecounter-weight -13-, would cause said shell to overbalance thecounter-weight tending to rock the corresponding end of the lever -14-upwardly, and in order that this action may be used in controlling theoperation of the steam whistle -1Qf-, or

equivalent signal, the valve stem -6- is.

substituted by a relatively shorter stem -6- carrying at its upper end avalve -7- which is normally seated in a steam passage -21- in the top ofthe column 2- and leading from the steam chamber of said column to thewhistle.

It is, therefore, evident that as long as the water level is below thelower end of the shell -1- or approximately at the level of the line-B-, the combined weight of said shell with the water therein would holdthe valve -7- closed against its seat, but in case the water should risea suiiicient distance above its normal level to buoy the shell -1-upwardly the valve -7- would be opened to allow the steam to operate thewhistle -12-.

On the other hand, if it is desired to use this device for operating alow water alarm, in which case the water level would be sutilcientlyabove the buoying level of the shell -1- as represented by the line -C-,Fig. 1, it is evident that said shell would be normally buoyed upwardlyagainst its own weight, thereby allowing the weight 13 and correspondingend of the lever to descend.

Under these conditions, the positions of the post -17- and valve rod orstem -6- would be reversed from the positions shown in Fig. 2, or asshown in Fig. 3, so that the normal up-position of the shell 1- wouldclose the valve -7- in the passage -2l-.

On the other hand, if the water level should drop a suiiicient distancebelow its normal level, as indicated by the line -C-, to allow thehollow member -1- to descend, the valve -7- would be instantly opened topermit the steam to escape through the passage -21- for operating thelow water alarm signal -12.

It is evident from the foregoing description that this device issusceptible to a wide range of uses without material alteration and thatit is particularly simple and economical both in manufacture and use,and that the shell 1 is practically indestructible and is capable ofstanding the varying degrees of moisture, heat and pressure to which itmay be subjected.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a water-level indicator for steam boilers, the combination with awater and steam-containing chamber, of a shell movable in said chamberand closed at the top, a tube secured to the bottom of the shell andextended some distance above and below said bottom, the upper end of thetube terminating within the shell, and counterbalancing means normallymaintaining the shell in such position that the lower` end of the tubewill be below the water level in said chamber, and means for indicatinga variation in the normal relation of the shell and its counterbalancingmeans.

2. In a water-level indicator for steam boilers, the combination with awater and steam-containing chamber, of a shell mov able within saidchamber and open at the bottom only, the remaining portions of the shellbeing closed against the passage of water therein or therethrough, meanswithin the shell for retaining a body of water therein nearly equal toits capacity, counterbalancing means normally maintaining the shell insuch position that the mouth of its opening is below the liquid level inthe chamber, and means for indicating a change from the relativepositions of the shell and its counterbalancing means.

3. In a water-level indicator tor steam boilers, the combination with awater-containing chamber, of a shell movable in said chamber by the riseor fall of water, means for admitting water into the shell from thebottom only, the remaining portions of the shell being closed againstthe entrance of water therein or therethrough, said means being arrangedto maintain a quantity of water in the shell nearly equal to itscapacity and means actuated by the movement of the shell from a certainposition for indicating such movement.

4. In a water-level indicator for steam boilers, the combination with awater-containing chamber, of a shell movable in said chamber by the riseor fall of water, and provided with a reduced tubular extensionprojecting downwardly from the bottom thereof, counterbalancing meansfor normally maintaining the shell in such position that the lower endof the extension will be immersed in the water in the chamber, and

means for indicating a change in the relation of said shell to itscounterbalancing means from normal.

5. In a water-level indicator for steam boilers, the combination with awater-containing chamber, of a shell movable in said Change of positionof the shell due to a Yuri- :ition of the Wait-ei' 10T-Qi in thechambezv.

ln Wtnss ",i'hmeeff have hereunto set my hun@ this 23d duff of February,1915. VILLARD A. KITTS, SR. Vtnesses F. E. SWEETLARD,

R. H. HOBBIE.

Go ies of this atent ma be obtained for fura cents each b adressn theCommissioner of Patents I Y Washington, D. C.

